This invention relates to a support for a rod antenna which may be of the telescoping type. The support has a foot portion which is mounted on a vehicle body and which carries a pivotal joint having a shell-like socket provided with a radial slot and a cylindrical part disposed in the socket and pivotal in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the foot portion. The cylindrical pivotal part is provided with a diametral threaded bore into which a terminal screw at the lower end of the rod antenna is threaded. By fully threading the terminal screw of the rod antenna into the pivotal cylindrical part, the latter is immobilized with respect to the socket in the desired angular position.
German Utility Model (Gebrauchsmuster) No. 1,606,115 discloses a pivotal rod antenna for vehicles wherein the antenna rod is carried by a socket (mounted on the vehicle) with the intermediary of a tightenable two-part joint. The joint parts have, at sides oriented towards one another, serrations which, upon tightening a screw connecting the two joint parts, assume a meshing relationship. This known antenna has the disadvantage that for a pivotal motion of the antenna and for the subsequent immobilization in the desired angular position of the antenna a separate tool, such as a screwdriver is necessary. It is a further significant disadvantage of this known structure that after the antenna rod is removed from its support, for example, before driving the vehicle into a car washing system, the joint part remaining secured to the vehicle constitutes a significant safety hazard.
Further, German Laid-Open Application (Offenlegungsschrift) No. 2,708,594 discloses a pivotal telescoping rod antenna wherein the foot portion mounted on the vehicle body carries a joint comprising a cup-shaped shell in which an approximately circular disc is rotatably supported. The disc has, perpendicularly to the disc axis, a throughgoing threaded bore into which there is threaded a terminal screw affixed to the antenna rod. In its fully threaded position, the terminal screw projects from the lower end of the bore and engages the inner shell wall whereby the disc, together with the antenna rod is immobilized in the joint shell in a predetermined angular position. A pivotal joint of this known type has the disadvantage that after repeated loosening and subsequent tightening of the antenna rod, the free end of the terminal screw is damaged and further, the inner side of the socket part is deformed by the free end of the terminal screw so that after a while a secure immobilization of the antenna rod is no longer possible.